


Eau du Pheromone

by ForcedSimile



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 02:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10065821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForcedSimile/pseuds/ForcedSimile
Summary: Fed up with Keith and Lance's constant arguing, Allura tells them they reek of pheromones for each other. Unfortunately this makes the wrong person on edge around her.





	

At some point it became their custom, their one way of connecting. Shiro had many things he didn't want Allura to ask about, she was certain. She was having a hard time coming to terms with the sheer amount of loss she experienced and could not express it. But they had to interact, they had to find a way to trust each other. They were the leaders of the Voltron force, they had to put up a (mostly) united front. Since neither felt up to a soul searching talk, they had to form some sort of non verbal camaraderie. So they worked out together, often when no one else was around. This was safer. They could speak if needed, or just concentrate on the strain of their muscles instead.

Allura didn't actually like bench presses much. She thought the exercise was absurd and did little for her. But she did like it for the simple reason that she could focus on Shiro's eyes. She felt she got a better read on him from his eyes. His moods weren't always as obvious, but she got an idea from this subtle form of contact.

Today was different. Because they were pressed for time, they were forced to work out while Keith and Lance were also in the room. Which was fine for a while. Until they inevitably started sniping at each other. Allura forced herself to concentrate on the weight in her hands and on Shiro. She grit her teeth and lifted despite the slight burn in her arms.

“Come on, just a few more,” Shiro said. She didn't break eye contact and nodded.

“Damn it, Lance! Can you move?”

She grunted more in frustration at the sound of Keith's voice. Focus. Keep going. Shiro wasn't looking away and neither would she.

“Look, I was here first!”

“You've got it, Allura, just one more,” Shiro said. She pressed her lips together and lifted the weight one more time. His hands brushed against hers as she set it safely on the rack. Allura wiped her forehead and glared at the two arguing across the room. Shiro handed her a bottle of water as Lance and Keith's idle barbs got louder.

“Good set,” he said. She hummed in agreement. She'd lost track of Lance and Keith's argument. It was mildly annoying as most of their bickering was. She walked past them as they started to awkwardly wrestle and raised her eyebrow.

“You two reek of pheromones,” she said. She took a long swig of water as she allowed her phrase to sink in.

“What sort of weird alien thing are you talking about?” Lance shouted. Keith only narrowed his eyes a bit.

“Alteans have a keen sense of smell. When creatures are attracted to one another, they release a hormone called 'pheromones.' I can smell you two whenever you're together and when you train together it's even worse,” she said.

“Shiro, tell her that I'm not the one who's got the pheromone smell!” Lance said.

“Well, it's certainly not me!” Keith said.

Shiro finally came over. “Well you two certainly smell like something. I'm hitting the showers. Make sure you two wash off after your training as well,” he said as he started down the hall.

Allura blinked rapidly. “I had a few more exercises to do and I need you to spot me.”

Shiro stopped and scratched his head, but before he could say anything Hunk arrived.

“Ah, perfect. Hunk, can you spot the princess with her weights?”

“Huh? Sure, but—”

“Great. Watch out for Keith and Lance's pheromone smell,” Shiro said.

“Shiro!” they shouted.

Shiro laughed to himself as he left, but Allura only furrowed her brow before returning to her training with Hunk.

* * *

Hunk was actually a great work out partner. He was funnier than Shiro, she admitted laughing while she was lifting weights was not the best combination. Despite the change in partners, she was ready to return to her routine with Shiro. She made a call to his room at their designated time.

“Shiro? Are you there?” she said. No answer. Well, she'd go and knock. As she was on her way to his room, she passed the control center. He was there looking quite busy. She stood awkwardly near him for a moment before she coughed. He glanced up at her briefly before returning his gaze to the screen.

“Hello, Princess,” he said. She frowned deeply. She wouldn't let it end here.

“I thought we would be training together. This is our usual time,” she said.

“I know. I want to go over some of this data with Pidge. I arranged for you to work out with someone else today,” he said.

Her shoulders slumped. Another day with Hunk wasn't bad. In fact, it was a nice change of pace.

“Why hello, Princess!” a voice sang across the room. She glared at Shiro.

“You're kidding me,” she said. Shiro gave no response. Lance all but danced across the room to her and took her hand.

“I have the honor of training with you today,” Lance said. She snatched her hand away before he could kiss it.

“I'm sure it will be...fun,” she said. He flexed a bit.

“And today you'll see the only time I get all 'pheromoned' is when you're around,” he said with a wink.

“Funny...I didn't smell you at all until you stood next to Shiro...” she said.

“What!” Lance said. “Listen, Princess, I—”

“Can you two take this some where else?” Shiro snapped. Lance grabbed Allura's arm and she made no move to stop him.

“Man, Shiro's been in a really bad mood since breakfast,” Lance said. Allura nodded in agreement, he _had_ seemed tense, not making eye contact with anyone. “Now that I addressed the elephant in the room...”

“The what?” Allura said.

“Oh, it's an Earth thing, but I want to clarify. While I do prefer guys, I appreciate beauty in all its forms and you, My Liege, are beautiful.”

She laughed. It was the wrong title for her, but it did make her feel better. Lance would certainly lighten her spirits after Shiro's outburst, but she glanced over her shoulder. What was wrong?

* * *

Her mind was not on her training at all. She could feel her muscles working, but not much else. For a solid week, Shiro hadn't spoken to her longer than a few minutes. He found reasons to get out of training with her on top of it. He wouldn't even sit in silence and meditate with her. She'd done something and she didn't know what it was.

Of the whole team, she found Hunk the best replacement work out buddy, but she couldn't look into his eyes the way she did with Shiro. No, she looked Hunk in the eyes, but the feeling was different. She felt Hunk's sincerity, but that was it. She could get that from Hunk easily. With Shiro it was those moments where she could feel the synergy that was there, the one that translated into them working so well under pressure in battle.

“Woah, Allura! Watch it!” Hunk cried. She almost fell backwards with the weight mid squat. He helped her the rest of the way up and carefully set the weight on the rack.

“Sorry about that,” she said.

“No worries. But I've seen you do more reps than that. In fact, I noticed you've been off your game without Shiro around,” he said. “What is he, your good luck charm?”

“No…I just...” she began. She missed him. What was more she felt to blame for his avoidance. “Hunk, I think I offended Shiro.”

“What? No way! He would have told you!” Hunk said.

“Would he really?” Allura said as she sat on the ground with her head in her hands.

“Yeah! Look I know he's mysterious about a lot of things, but he'd be up front with something like this,” Hunk said. He sat next to her and put his arm around her. “I know for a fact he respects you. It's probably something else he's worried about. Just ask him, I'm sure everything's fine.”

Allura sighed. “Thanks, Hunk. I needed to hear that.”

He squeezed her. “Any time!”

* * *

He'd be loathe to admit it now, but when he was younger, he grew up on a steady diet of tales of King Arthur and samurai films. In Shiro's mind that was the ultimate job: to be in service of a noble person. So the closest he was going to get in the modern world was the military. Which didn't sit well with him, so he ended up in a space program. Science was a noble cause to dedicate his life to. While he had no direct lord or lady, he felt he was on the right path. He would transport and protect scientists on their quest to better the world.

Unfortunately, like Arthurian tales, his quest was fraught with woe. He'd already failed to protect once. And then he was given a second chance. From the moment Allura declared him one of the Paladins of Voltron, he knew this was something he had to be a part of. The leader of Voltron, that was his role.

So...when did he start thinking of himself as _Allura's_ knight and not just the Black Paladin of Voltron? Maybe it was the time he failed to protect her, when she tossed him into the escape pod. It was then he knew he was more than just someone who fought for the principled ideals of justice and right. He was more than her attack lion against Zarkon. He had to protect her, however bad at protecting he seemed to be.

And slowly, unwittingly, he was becoming his most hated character in all of Arthur's legends. He was becoming Lancelot, in love with his lady. And though she was not married, Allura could not be his. Wasn't she obligated to find a way to save the Altean race? (Though it skeeved him a bit to think of her and Coran forcing something to save the race, it might have to be so) Perhaps if that wasn't something she felt obligated to do, surely a strategic marriage might be in order.

Either way, he couldn't have her, he was a common Earthling. He had to find a way to get his feelings for her under control so she wouldn't smell his attraction to her from a mile away. It had to be so uncomfortable for her to know how he felt and she was so gracious in not saying anything about it and—

“Shiro...you crushed my wrench with your robot hand,” Pidge said.

“Oh! Sorry...” he said.

“Allura kept telling me you've been out of it lately and now I really see it. Maybe you should go rest,” Coran said. Shiro shook his head.

“No, no. I'll just be more careful,” he said.

“Well, wait until these two leave the room. It's hard to concentrate when they're around,” Coran said. Pidge rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Lance and Keith entered, carrying boxes of parts.

“We'll ask Coran, then!” Lance shouted as he dropped the box.

“Careful with those!” Pidge cried.

“Answer me this, Coran. Which of us smells like pheromones?” Lance asked, pointing between him and Keith.

Coran stared at them long and hard. “How would I know?”

“Allura said that Alteans can smell pheromones,” Keith said. Coran put his hand over his mouth before he started laughing.

“She's messing with your heads! We can't smell those!” he said.

“What?” they chorused. They left the room, still arguing, most likely to take the fight to Allura. Coran grabbed Shiro's arm and dragged him along.

“We'll be back, Pidge. I need to get a box of battery packs and it's easier to make Shiro carry them,” he said. Pidge just gave a thumbs up. As soon as they were out of ear short Coran sighed.

“Has she told you the 'pheromone' thing before?” he asked.

“Not me directly. But as you can tell, she obviously told Keith and Lance that,” Shiro said.

Coran snorted. “Allura's been using that story for years. She told Prince Lotor he smelled shamelessly of pheromones in hopes that he'd be so embarrassed that his advances were so obvious he'd give up on her. It only made him more persistent. Seems her intent in telling people that always has an opposite effect,” Coran said.

Shiro chuckled. “Her intent was to get Keith and Lance to stop fighting and they only got worse.”

“True, true. Though...well, since she threw Lance and Keith in front of the Walum, I don't feel so bad doing it to her. I think it had the opposite effect on you as well. If Alteans _could_ smell pheromones, I have a feeling she'd be most pleased to know they were coming from you.”

Shiro was stunned into silence. Coran just placed a box full of battery packs in his arms and pushed him back down the hall.

* * *

Allura was working out alone. Maybe she'd given up on trying to reach out to him and just accepted he needed space and decided to take some of her own. But he unabashedly went over to her as she bench pressed her weights. She jumped in surprise as he entered her field of vision but he steadied her.

“Don't worry. I'll spot you,” he said. She smiled and continued, not breaking eye contact. And this was the part he loved the most. An excuse to look into her eyes, to see the determination and focus, detect the lingering pain. Maybe he imagined it, but her eyes looked brighter than usual today.

She struggled with her final press, but he lifted the rest of the way for her and set the weight in its proper place. Before he could remove his hands, she grabbed his wrists.

“I'm glad you're back with me,” she said. He grabbed her wrists in turn.

“I never left you, Princess,” he said. “I was just busy, that's all.”

She released him and sat up. “No. Something was wrong. If I offended you, you must tell me.”

He was silent and looked away. How could he explain himself? She stood up and grabbed his hands.

“Please. I trust you the most, Shiro. I love when we're on the same page. I need to know what I did to hurt you,” she said.

“I just misunderstood something you said in passing. It was all in my head. I'm sorry,” he said.

Before he'd even said “sorry” her arms were around his waist and her head was on his chest. He swallowed hard and was so grateful she couldn't see his face, he was certainly bright red.

“I don't want to hurt you, Shiro. I know I come across as harsh sometimes, but I'm just...defeating Zarkon is the most important goal I have and I will stop it nothing see it through. I know my tact isn't always up to standard,” she said.

“It wasn't that serious,” he said. She squeezed him tighter.

“You barely spoke to me in a week. And I even bothered to ask Lance which Earth term to use just so you know exactly how long it was,” she said. For that sacrifice, he couldn't help but return the hug. She buried her face in his chest. “Just tell me next time.”

“I will,” he said.

The conversation was over, but neither of them made a move to end the embrace. They finally broke away and continued to train like nothing had happened. But something had shifted. Because by the end of their session, Allura took his hand and squeezed before giving him a lingering gaze and then heading to the showers. And he was only plunged deeper into his agony over her.

* * *

There was a crowd in the security room. Hunk found a way to make the Altean equivalent of popcorn while the rest of the Voltron paladins and Coran huddled around a screen.

“Who smells like pheromones now, Princess! I can smell them through the screen!” Lance said.

“No you can't,” Keith said.  
  
“Well she's being _super_ obvious about how much she likes Shiro.”

“And you're being _super_ obvious about how much you like Keith,” Pidge grumbled.

“What was that, Four Eyes?” Lance said.

“Now, now, children. Lance, if you and Keith want to enact the Earth mating ritual of constant bickering, you'll have to take it outside. Hunk and I want to come up with a cute mash up of their names so that we have a code word for gossiping about them,” Coran said.

“It's not a mating ritual!” Keith shouted.

“Could have fooled me,” Hunk said.

Lance and Keith did leave, arguing down the hall. Those left in their wake sighed deeply.

“Why is it that the couples on this ship are in such denial?” Pidge asked.

“Who knows? But it makes for great entertainment,” Coran said.


End file.
